THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
Established by Canonical Charter Feb. 2, 1927

Also known as The American Orthodox Catholic Church

Statement by Patriarch

This Church and our clergy have been on the receiving end of abuse by the so
called canonical orthodox churches and clergy. Some of their claims are true but
more is false and misleading. They tend to bend and shape their claims of Church
history to suit their desires - to one day claim they are the American Church.

It appears the idea of SCOBA is the early step towards orthodox unity. A
Greek Archbishop in 1929 claimed to be over all Orthodox in America and the
Greek Archbishop in America presides over SCOBA. Maybe its a view of the future
when the Ecumenical Patriarch declares that his Greek Church is the American
Patriarchate.

The Antiochians were given Autocephalous status by their Patriarch and many
of their Churches use "American" as part of their Church name or how they
explain who they are.

As for the OCA they have had problems getting the Ecumenical Patriarch to
recognize them or their Metropolitan. They were chartered in 1970, 43 years
after we were chartered, by the Russian Patriarch (Moscow). But they do have
close ties to the other ethnic orthodox in America.

The problem we run into with all these jurisdictions is simply they have no
compassion, christian charity, love for their fellow man and they violate Holy
Scripture and the canons easily and with "a good excuse". Someone has decided
the Ecumenical Patriarch was the only one with authority to start the American
Church - which is false. They turned their back on this Church and our clergy -
that was wrong. It was done out of greed for money, power, authority and
territory - and this violated the canons also.

The hierarchy in Orthodoxy is not like that of the Roman Catholic Church. One
Patriarch does not rule over another and he only is suposed to rule within his
Patriarchate, his land. All Patriarch's are said to be equal. So where did the
Ecumenical Patriarch get the canonical authority to ignore the Church started by
Russia and to claim he alone had the authority to start the American Church?

And by what canonical authority did these righteous people have a
canonical right to turn their back on a sister Church? A canonically established
Church! By what canonical right and authoritydid they act to destroy
this Church and to continue for over 70 years to claim this Church no longer
existed and to attack long dead orthodox clergy? By what canonical
authority did they establish missions in the New World and then claim it was
their territory?

The answer is simple! They had no canonical right or authority for these
actions! Their acts violated the Sacred and Divine Canons then and they
continue today! By their continued violation of the canons and the acts
mentioned they caused a Schism in American Orthodoxy. By their continued lies,
referred to as perjury, about this Church, their continued attacks on the long
dead clergy of this Church and the numerous identifiable violations of the
canons we believe they have deposed and excommunicated themselves from the Body
of Christ. The canons direct us to excommunicate all involved in Schism. Those
who perjure themselves are to be deposed.

Many other acts by these ethnic clergy violated the canons and continue to
violate the canons today. i.e. Bishop Germanos came to this country without
authority and was fundraising, trying to take parishes away from this Church
and openly accepted a suspended priest without the required letters, which in
itself is sufficent according to the canons to warrant his, Bp. Germanos, being
deposed. He never was! Clergy from various jurisdictions continue to defame
and lie about Abp. Ofiesh, Bp. Sophronius and Bp. Ignatius and not showing
respect to a bishop and perjury all violate the canons. These clergy should be
treated as the canons direct. These groups moved into our canonical jurisdiction
which violates the canons and continue to act within our jurisdiction. These are
just some of the violations of the Sacred and Divine Canons.

As you can see above these "clergy" violated the canons and Scripture over 70
years ago and continue to do so today. We now state that if these orthodox
groups within our canonical jurisdiction make no effort to repair this Schism
and the damage they have done all these years that the penalties of the Canons
shall befall them. We have this right since they are violating said canons in
out territory and under our canonical jurisdiction, like it or not.

Since the Ecumenical Patriarch would have no superior authority over the
Russian Patrarch or Synod when in Russia and the Russian Patriarch has no
superior authority over any other Patriarch when outside Russia and in another
Patriarch's jurisdiction. We therefore declare this Synod to be the highest
canonical authority in the New World, our canonical jurisdiction. Thus by canon
law this Synod has superior authority to state that those who are part of this
Schism in American Orthodoxy and continue acting in a manner that is Schismatic
towards us shall be viewed as suffering the fate of the Canons that have been
violated constantly over the years. We pray for the time the Holy Spirit softens
their hearts towards us and we begin to see changes away from those acts that
have caused the Schism.

~ ~ ~ + ~ ~ ~

We are the same Church that was canonically chartered as the American
Orthodox Catholic Church in 1927 and incorporated in 1928. We follow Holy
Scripture, The Canons and Orthodox Tradition, use the approved Orthodox
liturgies, have valid canonical orders, and our Synod canonically declared this
Church to be the American Orthodox Patriarchate!

We cannot be in communion with those who violate the canons, attack this
Church, defame the dead and who continue to act so contrary to the canons.